Experience of selling on the forum

[malumbu]

I've given stuff away, sold stuff at a modest price and occasionally used this forum to buy stuff or pick it up for free. I think it is a useful community service. I give stuff away to charity and occasionally sell on ebay too.

Generally a good experience, some interest is speculative and not followed up but that is the nature of some of our communications nowadays.

But I was recently selling something eclectic, and had three offers almost immediately. Two went dead as I looked to arrange a pick up and the third sort of lost the plot. When I checked the history all three were prolific in buying and selling on this site.

So it this 'community site' akin to a car boot sale where traders are trying to pick up bargains to resell? Do they try to block others by immediately saying 'I'll have that' then lose interest when they find an article wont make much on resale.

Or am I being disingenuous?

Just curious.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I imagine that is a factor.

[seenbeen]

I imagine it's much like 'watching' an item on eBay...when another one comes along first and cheaper they buy that and don't bother to tell you.

[KidKruger]

I think some people basically have a tendency to claim an item that they think they may want, then having done so the thrill of the win wanes and their true level of interest becomes apparent. Unfortunately bu then you're hanging on for a phone call / pick up time, possibly losing other potential buyers. The original person seems suddenly unresponsive.

That's why I mainly ask anyone interested to pm me, so that a public post of interest doesn't dissuade potential others.

It's a wind-up, but it is what it is.

Other wind-ups I've experienced selling on here are people:

- insisting you deliver the free stuff you're offering

- agreeing by pm that if they like it they take it at the asking price, then offering 50%

- expecting you to help load something into their car before giving you the money for the item to take it off your property

- delivering furniture to someone who guarantees they want it but can't come and view it in person (you've uploaded photos, so they're buying based on that), no issues, then having unloaded it and brought it to their doorstep they say nah it looks too big (even though you provided exact measurements when they requested them)

Also one person on here I bought a 2nd hand kitchen from required a deposit of a couple hundred quid (no problem), we agreed a date and therefore I hired a van and driver and storage, day before pick-up date the seller said they wanted to change the date and when I advised I am working that day they said I forfeit the deposit.

Predominantly though, it's a breeze, and good to sell/buy local.

[fishbiscuits]

I've had experiences when offering to give something away free (or nearly free). People claiming it's for their elderly mum, or their kids off to uni. Then someone comes to pick it up in a white van full of bric-a-brac, and don't even stop for a chat.

It's not the end of the world, but it's not really the spirit in which the things were offered.

[Sue]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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> I've had experiences when offering to give

> something away free (or nearly free). People

> claiming it's for their elderly mum, or their kids

> off to uni. Then someone comes to pick it up in a

> white van full of bric-a-brac, and don't even stop

> for a chat.

>

> It's not the end of the world, but it's not really

> the spirit in which the things were offered.

It's always been like that.

I gave away an old car on Freecycle once. I really didn't care who took it, but when the guy arrived (quite obviously a dealer) he told me this ridiculous story about buying it to do it up for a poor lady who couldn't afford one.

FFS. Why bother? Just take it off my hands 🤣

[DovertheRoad]

I always looked at it as a kind of semi-efficient food chain. I could get some value by selling my items on Ebay but the personal time vs ? return stats don't add up vs. the opportunity cost of using my time elsewhere. So giving it away free or near as to someone who had that time worked quite well. Even if they took the profit.

The people have always been a lottery. I remember flogging one of those horizontal canvases of "east dulwich at night" from NCR market. I paid ?120 for it back in 2004. Sold it for like ?30 on here to this woman. After collecting it and loading her car she turned and yelled " yer shoulda sold that to me for more mate!" and drove off. Like it was some kind of game. Really funny.

[DovertheRoad]

Genuinely if people have 2 hours to spare to make ?10 through trading good luck to them.

[KidKruger]

Cheeky as...!

DovertheRoad Wrote:

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After collecting it and loading her

> car she turned and yelled " yer shoulda sold that

> to me for more mate!" and drove off. Like it was

> some kind of game. Really funny.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I gave something to someone who had posted on the wanted section. I received a message a few weeks later thanking me as it had made a big difference to them.

I felt good being able to give and that was lovely to hear from them again.

This forum is awesome. You can always say no to someone if they turn up and it's clear it's a trader.

[Minitoots]

we?ve sold lots of items from a car, a bike to pieces of fabric and I ?d still recommend it - after all, it is free to post your items. There are definitely some timewasters out there though & I wasn?t very impressed with the woman who came to buy a beautiful length of silk fabric from me for ?10 (worth at least ?30)& asked for a discount when she arrived at my doorstep....

I also agree with all Kid Kriger?s comments above re: selling.

[tomskip]

I saw something on here that I definitely wanted. It went on sale on a Sunday. I messaged the seller and said I can come and pick it up any time today. There were a few messages back and forth but in the end the seller decided they weren't going to be in at all on the Sunday. So she said "can you pick it up 8am tomorrow?". I replied, no, sorry, I'll be at work can I come at 6.30?" She said no and sold it to someone else who could pick it up during the day on a Monday. Tedious in the extreme.

[KidKruger]

From a seller's point of view that makes sense I suppose, especially knowing how much messing about there can be when you hold an item for someone because they were first to enquire but then they vanish and the subsequent interestees have subsequently evaporated too.

But yeah, tedious !

[malumbu]

Thanks all. I suppose I will be less naive in future when I get three quick offers at the asking price. I wouldn't have been bothered if the item had been taken but had already done my homework to get a rough idea of price and that whilst beautiful and eclectic the item was not collectable. It went to a car boot sale the following weekend at a few quid less which is fine.

All my previous selling and donating activity had been with locals who were happy/grateful for the item (and similarly when I have bought or had things given to me). Nothing to stop dealers activity but this seemed to be a scatter-gun approach.

Before I posted the thread I was concerned that this would be a red rag to a bull in that the three people who contacted me could get into the discussion, but they don't have time for this as they are scouring the community forum looking for items to make a profit on.

On a slight tangent - I see from time to time those who make 10,000s on a one pound jumble sale purchase. I doubt whether any of these people feel obliged to give some of the profit to the charity or community group running the jumble sale. I sense that Oxfam and the like are much more savvy nowadays in running their shops.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I worked in Oxfam for a while (furniture in Streatham) and would easily be able to tell the difference between a trader and a person in need.

Some people we wouldn't sell to readily and some people we'd pretty much give things away to.

I also increased prices for items I knew were worth a lot more than they were asking for.

Does it matter if people are traders on here?

Should we compile a list and let Admin know? There are some who change their name every now and then so it looks like they are new (and call themselves a real name).

I don't know if the people who are giving things away want them to go to someone who will sell them on or if they don't actually mind either way.

[KidKruger]

Basically you can?t completely stop traders trying to make a buck.

I?ve sold-on a couple of items bought on here previously - sold back on here, where I?ve sold for > what I paid. Only a couple of quid, but if the item has served it?s purpose for me and I want to dispose of it, that?s my call.

Far stretch to actual trading though, I suppose each individual selling has to monitor and control as they see fit if concerns are to be addressed.

[Guest]

When I give things away for free, the intention is to find a good home for the items, not for someone to sell it on for a profit. But giving things away can be quite painful as lots of people reply quickly and I end up having lots of no-shows (which really really annoys me). Sometimes I advertise it for ?5 just to prevent this situation.

It's abit hit and miss

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

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> I worked in Oxfam for a while (furniture in

> Streatham) and would easily be able to tell the

> difference between a trader and a person in need.

>

> Some people we wouldn't sell to readily and some

> people we'd pretty much give things away to.

>

> I also increased prices for items I knew were

> worth a lot more than they were asking for.

>

> Does it matter if people are traders on here?

> Should we compile a list and let Admin know? There

> are some who change their name every now and then

> so it looks like they are new (and call themselves

> a real name).

>

> I don't know if the people who are giving things

> away want them to go to someone who will sell them

> on or if they don't actually mind either way.

[alice]

If you want to give something away for free why not take it to one of the many excellent charity shops. That doubles the people who will benefit.

[Guest]

Good idea and I do that already where I can. I also try to use a local whatsapp group too. Some things are not suitable for a charity shop though.

alice Wrote:

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> If you want to give something away for free why

> not take it to one of the many excellent charity

> shops. That doubles the people who will benefit.

[malumbu]

I donate a fair amount of stuff to charity shops, this forum is useful for finding homes for eclectic odds and sods that may be less suitable for St Christophers etc. I understand that with lockdown domestic spring cleans the charity shops are rather inundated at the moment.

[Sue]

malumbu Wrote:

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> I donate a fair amount of stuff to charity shops,

> this forum is useful for finding homes for

> eclectic odds and sods that may be less suitable

> for St Christophers etc. I understand that with

> lockdown domestic spring cleans the charity shops

> are rather inundated at the moment.

The large hospice shop was still welcoming donations with open arms a week or so back 🙂

[alice]

Yes I checked with St Christopher?s small things welcomes and they gave me a number to call to pick up furniture.